Why the Warriors 2026 Problems Aren’t Just Limited to Aging Players
For the Golden State Warriors, the 2025-2026 campaign was a failure. Sure, getting into the playoffs and winning a series becomes a lot more difficult when half of the starting lineup suffers season-ending injuries. However, the season didn’t rely solely on the misfortunes that befell Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. Steve Kerr’s core is on the verge of retirement, a key factor for Golden State’s lack of competitiveness down the stretch. It would be foolish to just blame a disappointing season on that alone, because there are deeper, unresolved issues that hindered the Warriors from making a run.
The Warriors struggled to get consistency from their role players, which is what sets championship teams apart from playoff pretenders. I believe that hints at a developmental issue, because the veteran group’s productivity has objectively overshadowed any growth. Aside from Moody, not a single Warriors draft pick has really developed into the player Golden State aspired them to be. Jonathan Kuminga showed many flashes, but wasn’t reliable and needed a reset after the summer-long contract saga. Gui Santos has also stepped up this year, and while his trajectory seems promising, the sample size is too small to make a concrete statement about the Brazilian forward as a player.
Besides the players mentioned above, the Warriors have not had a standout draft pick since 2020. Their highest pick of James Wiseman was a bust, and in retrospect, a terrible choice for a second overall pick. Furthermore, the team from the Bay hasn’t drafted a prospect in the first round since 2023, which reflects their all-in-now mentality and their focus on maximizing veteran presence. It was the right move at the time, but because almost none of their younger players have become what Golden State hopes they will, a talent gap has arisen.
I don’t want to put all the blame on development, because I believe that the front office’s salary handling has also played a role in the team’s downfall. With a limited salary cap, Golden State has not been able to lure in any big-name free agents. Combined with the lack of young assets other than Kuminga, it’s hard for the team to attract business. The Dubs have to face one of the toughest offseasons in recent memory and will need to set a clear trajectory for themselves. Otherwise, I’m afraid that the last few years of superstar guard Stephen Curry’s career were frankly wasted.
